New Year Resolutions 2016: What’s In A Word?

Happy New Year everybody! I’ve risen from the WordPress dead, woot woot! Technical issues made Blogmas a pretty tall order…I should probably set a SMARTer goal next time, too (namely, something a littttttle more attainable). Anyway, as my high school class motto – and Joe Dirt – so eloquently stated…”The past is passed. The future’s now!” Moving on! The time for New Year resolutions 2016 is upon us. I always find it to be an interesting time of year – so many people are feeling positive and motivated about whatever it is they want to do to make this THEIR year. There are also a number of people in the other camp, where dreams go to die – setting a resolution is stupid, most people fail anyway, etc. etc. Whatever your approach to or belief about New Year resolutions – one word could be your ticket to achieving whatever you want to achieve, no matter the time of year…

New Year Resolutions 2016 in One Word

My mom – Queen of Connections: 2015.

I don’t remember where the “one word” approach to New Year’s first became known to me, but it wouldn’t surprise me if it was via my mother’s infinite wisdom. I know for sure she donned 2015 the year of “connections,” and man, did she crush it. Phone calls, emails, texts, get-togethers – that lady did it all, and she recorded all of her efforts in a journal, too. This “one word” approach I speak of is very simple. You simply identify a word that encompasses what it is you’d like to improve on over the course of the coming year, or really – whenever!

You want this word to be general, but also measurable…in big and small increments, so you can see how you’re coming along. For example, my mom’s word last year – connections – was something she was easily able to measure over time. Texts and emails with people she was already frequently seeing or talking to might be considered small improvements, or even maintenance, in her connections, where a call or visit to a distant relative or old friend would clearly be considered a larger-scale event. Because the word is broad, you have ample opportunity to note your successes, whether they’re big or small. Success leads to motivation, and motivation leads to continued success – everybody wins!

In Case You Were Wondering…

My beautiful writing on my beautiful momentum journal!

I know you’re probably on the edge of your seat wondering what MY word is for 2016 – wonder no more 🙂 My word for this year is “Momentum”. If you read my post about the Best Workout You Can Do, you probably saw this one coming. I have several goals that I plan to achieve in 2016, and I plan to create momentum toward achieving these goals every day. My areas of focus this year are Health (of course), Finances, Business (MCP), and Personal Development. I snagged myself a beautiful robin egg blue journal today, so I can record – each and every day – the momentum I create toward each of my goals in these areas. This be something as simple as…”I hit my protein goal for today”, or “I saved $5.00 by making coffee at home instead of going out.” It’s the little things we do that help us to create momentum toward our ultimate goals, and recording each of these events can help with accountability, as well as reinforcing the progress that’s already been made – especially on the tough days.

Give It a Try

This is a really easy strategy to set a New Year’s resolution without getting locked into a daunting, lofty goal that you don’t even believe you can achieve. National Quitters Day (January 15th) is quickly approaching – find this day, 90% of people have given up on their resolution – don’t be that guy. Be you…the best version of you. Here are some tips to apply this strategy and find success in the new year!

Don’t Be Random – First, if you’re somebody who’s “so random” – you should reconsider using this as a way to describe yourself. Random, by definition, means there’s no pattern, meaning or goal in mind. You need to have specific goals in mind, and your word needs to have meaning to you. Take a minute to think about it, and find something that makes sense for what it is you want to accomplish.

Brainstorm & Narrow – As you’re taking time to think of a word that would be best for you, brainstorm some ideas of measurables that would allow you to track what you’ve accomplished. For instance – say your word is “happiness” – what’s something you might record as a way you created happiness? Maybe you feel better when you’re active, when you see your friends, when you’re gardening, when you fix cars – there are a ton of examples for everything. Make sure you’re able to come up with some….if not, you might want to look into a new word…

Write. It. Down. – I’m the worst at logging things. I’ve never been good at showing my work, keeping a journal, logging hours for anything, etc. etc. However…you must. You need to write down your goals, your word, and how you’ve worked toward achieving goals and exemplifying the meaning of your word. It doesn’t take very long, and it will keep you accountable. Set aside time, set an alarm, force yourself to do it. You’ll be glad you did.***It does NOT have to be every day. You could write down your progress whenever you want. Every day, every other day, once a week, bi-weekly – whatever. Seriously though, do it.

Share It – Tell other people about your word. What it is, what it means, and what you’re doing to live it out. It’s a great conversation starter, and they might even want to try it, too! Success can be contagious 🙂

Did you set a resolution for 2016? If you did, let me know what it is in the comments below! If you give this strategy a try, let me know what your word is – I’d love to hear about all of your successes!

2 Responses

This is perfect! I was just thinking about my resolutions and bought a journal to document the process but couldn’t narrow things down. Your post helped me to focus my thoughts and intentions. Thanks, Pulv!